Saturday, October 19, 2013

This picture was published as part of the Watertown Daily Times North Country Remembered series on October 13th. As we did not know the names of any of the children, or what the occasion was, we asked for help with identification in this 1950s-era photo taken at the Potsdam State Teachers Colleges wedding tents for sale Congdon Campus School. The Campus School was a practice school for aspiring teachers. It was named after Potsdam Normal School President Randolph T. Congdon. Until the late 1950s when the Lawrence Avenue School was built, the Campus School was Potsdams only elementary school, with the exception of the Pine Street School. This picture was taken at the back of Snell Hall; the children are facing the Campus School.

Thanks to information provided by Shirley Christman, Joan K. Hutchins, Robert Arazy and Bill Gaines, we now know the names of ALL the students: (from right to left): Mercedes Amo, Shirley Christman, Joan Hutchins, Fay Tolman (or Merrill Miles or Lorence Conley Brown), Tom Watkins, Jerry McClure and David Jones. We also know that the picture was taken in the Spring of 1952 and that these kids were in the 6th grade at the time. Four of the seven tents exhibition graduated in the Potsdam High School Class of 1958 (Shirley Anne Christman, David Allen Jones, Gerald Wayne McClure, and Fay Eugene Tolman). We also know that Tom Watkins left Potsdam prior to 1958. Also, in the 1955 Potsdam Sandstoner Yearbook, a J. Hutchins and a M. Miles are pictured. There was also a P. Amo, but that does not match Mercedes Amo.

(Click Thumbnail to Enlarge in a separate window)

We still have mysteries we would like to have solved. What was the
occasion of the photograph, large event tents and who is the boy fouth from the right? Is
he Fay Tolman, Merrell Miles or Lorence Conley Brown? We have been
given 3 different names for him! And whatever became of Mercedes Amo?
We do know that she best large outdoor tent hire married Robert K. Cook in 1961 and that they had a
baby, Ryan Merton Cook in 1970. Were the children delivering something
like newspapers, or was it a special biking club, or what was it?

Any
additional information would be very much appreciated! Please contact
us at 315-265-6910 or museum@vi.potsdam.ny.us. Thank you!